Compact tractor vs skip loader

[rhuffie]

I am currently purchasing 30 acres near Yosemite nat'l Park. This is truly raw land, it is overgrown with small to large trees - including oaks and some ponderosa pines and an impenetrable 8 acre manzanita field.
I am planning on clearing an area for a home and then a liberal defensible space for Calfire - at least a 6 acre area total.
While i will be no doubt be hiring a professional dozer operator to grade a spot for the house and to plow down a few select larger trees, I plan on slowly doing the rest of the clearing myself.
Both the compact tractors and skip loaders seem perfect for the job but the skip loader seems to have an edge:
The used skip loader (Case 570xt or JD210le) is heavier and heavier duty, has a larger bucket and lifting capacity, larger box cutter and twice the HP for the price of a 35 HP compact tractor.
Which style tractor will be better for this job?

 

[RoyJackson]

Welcome to TBN!!!

Initially, I'd say the skiploader would be a better choice for most of your work.
After that work is done, you may want to sell it and go for a compact tractor for maintenance of your acreage.

The skiploader would be a more expensive machine to operate and maintain, so buy wisely.

 

[RDrancher]

I'd go with the MUCH heavier duty skip loader if you have room. I'm partial to the 210LE. Find one with a 4-in-1 bucket and the optional (and elusive) PTO and you have quite the beast for heavy work at both ends. The 3-point down pressure feature helps a ton when ripping and grading as well.

I run a NH TC35D for gravel driveway work and landscape grading duties, but I cut my tractor-teeth on old Ford skip loaders and later on the Deere. The smaller 35 horse compact is handy, but pretty wimpy in comparison. The 210LE is on my short list.

 

[rhuffie]

So you are saying that the JD210LE only has a PTO as an option?
Is it typical for skip loaders to not have PTOs? The box scrapers I see connected to many of the used loaders I see for sale are not powered with a PTO?
What about the case570XT?
I was planning on possibly buying a PTO powered chipper to help me process all the green waste I will be creating so a PTO is a must.

 

[rhuffie]

is there a used tractor buying guide online somewhere?
With answers to questions like:
What are the main trouble spots to look for on used tractors?
What do you look for when buying used?
When is white exhaust smoke OK?
Should I be concerned if I see dripping hydraulic fluid?

 

[MarkV]

We call them skid loaders around here and they do not have a PTO. There are hydraulicly operated PTO's that can be added to the loader. Implements like mowers, chippers and such are run by hydraulics. If you plan to keep it as your general maintenance machine look at the prices of implements. They generally run 3 or 4 times more than those for a tractor.

If it were me I would have heavy equipment do your clearing and buy a compact tractor for maintenance and final grading. Both a tractor and a skid loader are limited for heavy clearing.

MarkV

 

[Verticaltrx]

We call them skid loaders around here and they do not have a PTO. There are hydraulicly operated PTO's that can be added to the loader. Implements like mowers, chippers and such are run by hydraulics. If you plan to keep it as your general maintenance machine look at the prices of implements. They generally run 3 or 4 times more than those for a tractor.

If it were me I would have heavy equipment do your clearing and buy a compact tractor for maintenance and final grading. Both a tractor and a skid loader are limited for heavy clearing.

MarkV

What he is talking about are industrial loader tractors (the new ones are basically a TLB without the hoe.)

Most of them will not have the PTO option as they were generally only used for grading and loader work. The are a great bang for the buck (used), but the versatility can be limited by the size and lack of PTO. However, for heavy duty loader work you won't find any ag or compact tractors that will come close in performance and longevity.

If it were me, I'd just look for a full tractor-loader-backhoe for your uses. They hold their value a little better than the industrial loaders, so you might have to go for a little older/higher hour one if you have a budget. You'll basically be getting the same tractor and loader as the models you mentioned, but the backhoe will be indispensable for clearing land, leveling for your house, putting in roads, etc. You could conceivably do all the work you mentioned with a TLB and not have to hire a dozer to come in for the 'heavier' stuff. If you want something similar (with a hoe) to the 210 JD and 570 Case look for the 310 and 580 respectively. Once your heavy work is done, buy a small compact tractor to do mowing, bush hogging, driveway maintenance etc. Depending on you future project planned, either keep the full-size TLB or sell it to pay for the compact. :thumbsup:

 

[MarkV]

What he is talking about are industrial loader tractors (the new ones are basically a TLB without the hoe.)

Most of them will not have the PTO option as they were generally only used for grading and loader work. The are a great bang for the buck (used), but the versatility can be limited by the size and lack of PTO. However, for heavy duty loader work you won't find any ag or compact tractors that will come close in performance and longevity.

If it were me, I'd just look for a full tractor-loader-backhoe for your uses. They hold their value a little better than the industrial loaders, so you might have to go for a little older/higher hour one if you have a budget. You'll basically be getting the same tractor and loader as the models you mentioned, but the backhoe will be indispensable for clearing land, leveling for your house, putting in roads, etc. You could conceivably do all the work you mentioned with a TLB and not have to hire a dozer to come in for the 'heavier' stuff. If you want something similar (with a hoe) to the 210 JD and 570 Case look for the 310 and 580 respectively. Once your heavy work is done, buy a small compact tractor to do mowing, bush hogging, driveway maintenance etc. Depending on you future project planned, either keep the full-size TLB or sell it to pay for the compact. :thumbsup:

Ok, I am on the same page now. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

MarkV

 

[RDrancher]

So you are saying that the JD210LE only has a PTO as an option?
Is it typical for skip loaders to not have PTOs? The box scrapers I see connected to many of the used loaders I see for sale are not powered with a PTO?
What about the case570XT?
I was planning on possibly buying a PTO powered chipper to help me process all the green waste I will be creating so a PTO is a must.

Google Deere 210LE PTO and you'll get a bunch to look at with the optional PTO. Finding one in your price range with the hours you're ok with may be the only hangup. Case also offered their skip with a PTO, so there's always that option.

As far as a TLB goes, it really depends on whether a hoe would be something you will need as frequently as the box scrapper and rippers. The Ford skip loaders my boss had back in the late 70's were equipped with removable hoes and PTO's. The closest thing available these days is the Deere 110 TLB. There's a ton of info here in this forum.

Just to avoid the skip loader / skid steer misunderstanding, "skip loader" is a West Coast term for industrial or landscape loaders.

 

[CJONE]

What he is talking about are industrial loader tractors (the new ones are basically a TLB without the hoe.)

Most of them will not have the PTO option as they were generally only used for grading and loader work. The are a great bang for the buck (used), but the versatility can be limited by the size and lack of PTO. However, for heavy duty loader work you won't find any ag or compact tractors that will come close in performance and longevity.

If it were me, I'd just look for a full tractor-loader-backhoe for your uses. They hold their value a little better than the industrial loaders, so you might have to go for a little older/higher hour one if you have a budget. You'll basically be getting the same tractor and loader as the models you mentioned, but the backhoe will be indispensable for clearing land, leveling for your house, putting in roads, etc. You could conceivably do all the work you mentioned with a TLB and not have to hire a dozer to come in for the 'heavier' stuff. If you want something similar (with a hoe) to the 210 JD and 570 Case look for the 310 and 580 respectively. Once your heavy work is done, buy a small compact tractor to do mowing, bush hogging, driveway maintenance etc. Depending on you future project planned, either keep the full-size TLB or sell it to pay for the compact. :thumbsup:

I agree 100% with this, after running equipment for years a skid steer would be my last choice. A good mini EX would be a better choice than a skid steer for clearing land. CJ